Friday, March 05, 2010

Peter the Great, Correggio, & the Shakers

IN THE NEWS-

* Stolen Peter the Great pendant found in Seattle returns to Russian museum -A silver medallion with the engraved image of Peter the Great, which was stolen from a Russian museum in 2006, sold online and recovered last year at an antiques dealership in Seattle, was officially returned to Russian authorities at a ceremony in Moscow Thursday. http://tinyurl.com/yb69gzx

* Family sues over Adams' Met Museum prints -Son files complaint to stop auction of 6 prints by bankrupt museum. The son and daughter-in-law of famed nature photographer Ansel Adams have filed a civil complaint in Fresno County Superior Court to prevent six of Adams' prints from being auctioned off by the Fresno Metropolitan Museum.The complaint says the prints -- among them a photo of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park taken in 1938 -- were given to the Met in 1983, the year before Adams died. http://tinyurl.com/y86l3ou

ARTS ALMANAC-

* 1534 – Antonio da Correggio, Italian painter, died. A leading painter of the Italian Renaissance, his work was known for its vigor and sensual stye. Correggio is said to have influenced the Rococo art of the 18th century.

“Inspired Innovations. A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity” By M. Stephen Miller.“Since the late eighteenth century, Shakers have exerted an influence on our nation wholly disproportionate to the size of their communities. Their approach has helped shape everything from craftsmanship and ingenuity to concepts of communal living and work ethic. And while much of our modern-day fascination with the United Society of Shakers centers upon their unique attention to craftsmanship, the innovative spirit they brought to simple, Godly living is indeed the most timeless aspect of their legacy. From their earliest days, the Shakers have depended on innovations of every sort to secure their place in a world that was, initially, hostile to their so-called “peculiar” beliefs: community, celibacy, and primitive Christianity. These innovations included improvements, adaptations, refinements, and inventions. Inspired Innovations is the first book devoted to this widely acknowledged but long neglected aspect of Shakerism. "